


Holiday Lights

by Squarepeg72



Series: From the Peg Board [21]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 31 Days of Fanfiction Challenge, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 20:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12589708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squarepeg72/pseuds/Squarepeg72
Summary: Can a wizard carry off a Muggle holiday for his beloved? If he can tame a dragon, surely he can handle a simple holiday.





	Holiday Lights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GaeilgeRua](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaeilgeRua/gifts).



> For GaeilgeRua - Thank you for all the beta love you have supplied in the last year. Prose is not so scary when you have good writer firends who help you find the right flow.
> 
> Day 31 - Git Fic
> 
> Written for the 31 Day of FanFiction Challenge in preparation for NaNoWriMo 2017

Charlie shook the snow from his cape as he stepped into the mud room. His dragons were loving the snow, but he still needed to watch their wings for winter damage. He also need to get presents ordered soon. Hermione loved this time of year and he had nothing ready.

“I’m home, love.” Charlie said as he walked into the sitting room. Hermione walked out of the kitchen and handed him a cup of tea.

Settling into the couch, Hermione sipped at her own cup of tea. “So how are your new dragons?”

“Well, other then trying to get frostbite on their wingtips, good.” Charlie answered as he settled beside her. “I think they will figure out how to the enjoy the snow without driving me insane soon.”

Hermione laid her head on Charlie’s shoulder. “What are we going to do for Christmas? I know your Mum and mine want us to come home for the holidays, but I want to spend time with you.”

“Why don’t we wait until Christmas Eve to portkey home. Mum said we could stay at the Burrow and Floo into London anytime we want.” Charlie sighed as he nuzzled Hermione’s hair. “Let’s worry about it tomorrow. I need to spend time with you.”

Watching the flames in the fireplace, Hermione and Charlie fell asleep

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Charlie woke to with pins and needles in his arm. It had become a habit of theirs to fall asleep on the couch as they talked. Charlie like the fact that Hermione felt comfortable enough to let her guard down and sleep. She still had nightmares and they tended to get worse when she stressed about things. Charlie decided that he would try to take the stress out of this holiday and let her enjoy it. Step one was a tree.

Charlie remembered the tree and decorations from their visit to her parents last year. It shouldn’t be that hard to get a tree. They lived in a forest for Merlin’s sake. He would owl Potter to see about the best way to get lights and baubles delivered without her knowing. Hermione usually like to spend the holidays without magic, but Charlie was going to have to use it to get everything ready in less than a week. He trained dragons, he could tame a holiday.

Gentling picking up his sleeping wife, Charlie headed for their bed.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione stretched and searched the bed for Charlie’s warmth. She was getting used to falling asleep on the couch and waking up in their bed. His side of the bed was empty but the covers had been tucked around her and she hated to leave the warmth of their bed. Winter in their cabin was different from winters she had spent with her parents. Hermione had reports to write and creatures to check on before she could snuggle back in the covers with her husband.

Hermione walked into the sitting room wrapped in a quilt from the bed. She found a cup of tea and covered plate on the coffee table, along with a note. “My love, Enjoy a quick breakfast and join me by the west pen. I have an adventure planned after I check on my new charges. Dress warm. Yours, Charlie”

Hermione sipped her tea as she lifted the cover on the plate. “Egg and cheese on toast. He definitely knows how to make breakfast on the run,” Hermione giggled as she set the lid back down. “I guess I should get dressed warm and head to the west pen.”

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione launched a snowball at Charlie’s head as she turned the corner to the west pen. But, she had not been quiet enough. Charlie was ready with a snowball of his own. “Ready for an adventure, my love,” Charlie asked as he wrapped Hermione in his arms. “We have a holiday to get ready for.”

“What are you up to Charles Weasley? We don’t have anything here to decorate with,” Hermione wiggled out of Charlie's grasp. “I know I said I wanted to celebrate her before we went home, but you don’t have to overdo it.”

“Mum owled me a package this morning and I think you will like what is there,’ Charlie grabbed Hermione’s hand and lead her into the forest. “But, first, we need a tree.”

“After you, oh fearless leader,” Hermione waved Charlie in front of her. “ I can't wait to see what kind of Christmas tree you are going to come up with here.”

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Charlie had never had this much fun getting anything ready for the holidays. He and Hermione had spent a hour rambling through the woods to find her “perfect” tree. The, another half hour to get the tree cut down and brought back to their cabin. “So, my love, what should we do next?” Charlie asked as he settled the tree in the corner of the sitting room.

“Tea then lights and ornaments. Wait… do we have that stuff?” Hermione asked as she headed for the kitchen to fix the tea.

“I’ll check the box from Mum,” Charlie’s voiced drifted into the kitchen from the bedroom. “Mum said she sent things for a very muggle Christmas.”

Hermione came out of the kitchen carrying two cups of tea in heavy mugs. She was not prepared for the tangle that greeted her in the sitting room floor. Her dragon taming, nimble fingered husband tangled in a mass of fairy lights. “Did something explode on you, dear heart?” Hermione giggled as she set down their tea.

“Apparently, things shifted in the box. I was trying to untangle on set and they just kept tangling around me.” Charlie said sheepishly. “Can you help me here?”

 

Hermione knelt before her husband and started to carefully unwind the mess he had gotten himself into. “Dad used to have this trouble every year. Mummy finally bought a tree with the lights already on it to keep him from death by fairy light,” she said as they continued to unwrap the tangle of lights. “I think we can use some magic to get the tree ready. But only for the lights. It is much more fun to decide where all the ornaments go without magic.”

Hermione and Charlie spent the next hour getting lights and ornaments fixed on the tree to her satisfaction. Hermione’s favorite ornament was a magical one, a little curly haired witch riding a dragon that circled the tree and never landed in the same spot twice. It was finally feeling like the Christmas was coming.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Charlie shook the snow from his shoes as he entered the mud room. He and Hermione had spent most of the weekend decorating the cabin for the holidays with the things his mum had sent them. He was looking forward to relaxing on the couch with Hermione tonight. No more decorating or creating gifts for friends and family. Tonight, they were going to enjoy the quiet of their cabin in the forest and the crackle of a fire in the fireplace.

“I’m home, love.” Charlie said as he walked into the sitting room. He was surprised by how quiet the cabin was. There was a fire in the fireplace but no Hermione in the kitchen door with a cup of tea. What he did find was a ribbon tied around a mug sitting on the coffee table. “Follow the ribbon to find your first gift …”

Charlie was very curious. Hermione did not often lead him on treasure hunts and, like his dragons, Charlie like to hunt for treasure. Charlie gathered the ribbon as he followed it into the kitchen. Sitting, in the middle of the kitchen table, was a small box wrapped in bright paper. When Charlie tugged on the ribbon, the paper fell away from the box and he heard his wife’s voice. “Put on what you find in the box and follow the spark to your next present …”

 Charlie laughed as he pulled a bright red and white St. Nicholas hat from the box and watched a small spark leave the box. “What are you up to, my love?” Charlie asked the spark as he followed it into his office.

The spark landed on Charlie’s desk and the bottom drawer opened. More sparks joined the first one to form a message. “Grab the gift from the drawer and join me at the tree…”

Charlie reached in the open drawer and pulled out a small ball. “WHat am I supposed to do with this?” Charlie muttered as he left his office and headed back to the sitting room and their tree.

“Help me put it on the tree,” Hermione said as she joined him at the tree. “This ball has a special message for a special tree. Help me put it on the tree.”

Hermione touched Charlie’s hand as he reached for an empty spot on the tree. As their fingers touched, snow began to swirl inside the ball. “What is this all about, my love?” Charlie asked as he watched the ornament come to life.

“Let the magic do its work, my dear,” Hermione said as she reached up to touch Charlie's face. “Come sit with me and watch the lights.”

Charlie let Hermione lead him to the couch and settle them in. His eyes stayed on the swirling ornament as the lights on the tree twinkled around it. Hermione kissed his cheek and settled her head on his shoulder. “I think we should spend every holiday like this … No matter what come our way,” She sighed and let her eyes drift closed. “There is something magic about holiday lights.”

Charlie continued to watch the snow settle in the ornament they had hung on the tree. “My love, why are there three dragons in the snow in this ornament? Why is one of them smaller than the other two?” he asked as Hermione reached for his hand.

Settling his hand on her stomach, Hermione grinned. “Merry Christmas, my dear.”


End file.
